11 – 24 May 2022 • Issue 631720p/1080p/1440p Common
types of high-definition video
of 1280x720, 1920x1080 and
2560x1440 pixels respectively.4K Video with a resolution of at
least 3840x2160 pixels.Accent colour The colour of
interface elements in Windows,
such as borders, buttons,
notification icons, Start menu and
taskbar.AES-256bit Advanced Encryption
Standard. A form of encryption
based on a key length of 256 bits.
Cracking it would take longer than
the age of the universe.Aspect ratio A measurement of
the shape of a screen. Traditional
PC screens are 4:3. Widescreen
monitors are 16:9 or 16:10.Bandwidth A measure of how
much data can be transferred
through a connection at one time.Benchmarking Comparing
software and products with an
accepted standard.Beta A version of software that’s
being tested. Beta versions are
often released so problems can be
ironed out.BIOS Basic Input-Output System.
Software built into every PC that
connects the vital components. It’s
visible for a few seconds when the
PC starts.Boot The process of starting up a
PC after it’s been turned off.Bootable Describes a device or
disc with system files on it so it can
be used to start up your computer.Cache A temporary space for
storing information. Can be
memory used on a computer
processor, or space on a hard drive
used by a web browser.Captcha Distorted text you have
to type to prove you’re a human.cd/m 2 Candela per square metre.
Standard unit of brightness.Clean install An operating system
installation that overwrites all
other content on the hard drive.Client A program that acts as an
interface between PC and server.Code Describes the various
programming languages used to
create programs.Contrast ratio A measure of the
difference between the darkest
and lightest possible shades
shown by a screen. Screens with
higher contrast ratios are good
for watching movies or playing
games.Cookie A small text file stored
on your computer by a website.
Used to store browsing
preferences, website log-in details
and so on.Core Units on a processor that
carry out program instructions.Cryptocurrency An online
currency not backed by any country.
The most popular is Bitcoin.Daisy-chained A wiring system
in which multiple devices are
connected together in sequence.Dark mode Showing white text
on a black background.Data mode Digital method of
communicating across amateur
radio networks.Dolby Atmos New surround-
sound technology that adds
‘height’ to the audio through
speakers built into the top of
devices.dpi Dots per inch. A measure of
printed image quality, or the size
an object will be shown on screen.Driver A file that tells Windows how
to work with an external device.Emoji A small graphic that can be
inserted into a text message or
email.End-to-end encryption A way of
encrypting messages so that the
only people who can read them
are the sender and recipient. They
can’t be intercepted and read by a
third party.Ethernet A standard used
for almost all wired computer
networks.False positive When an antivirus
program wrongly detects a
malware infection.FAT32 An old system used for
formatting hard drives, and still
used for some portable drives.Firmware Basic software stored
on hardware, such as a processor,
to control its operation.Fps Frames per second.
Normally used to indicate gaming
performance.FT8 A fast data mode launched
in 2017 and now popular with
amateur radio enthusiasts.Geo-restricted Content such
as TV programmes and films
that’s intended to be watched
only in a specific country. Much
US-made content can’t be legally
watched outside the US, for
example.Graphics card A component in a
computer that produces the image
shown on the monitor.HTTP Hyper Text Transfer
Protocol. The technology that
sends data between your browser
and the web.HTTPS Hyper Text Transfer
Protocol Secure. The secure
version of HTTP, the technology
that sends data between your
browser and the web.IMAP Internet Message Access
Protocol. A method for email that
lets the user manage messages
stored on a remote server.IP address Internet Protocol
address. A unique set of numbers
used to identify computers and
websites on the internet.IPS A screen technology. Monitors
that use it have wider viewing
angles and better, more accurate-
looking colours compared with
monitors that do not use this
technology.ISO file A type of image file that
contains all the data from a CD or
DVD.Key file An encrypted file you can
use to lock a database.NAND Memory that doesn’t need
a power source to retain data.NAS Network-attached storage. A
hard drive attached to a network
that can be shared with other PCs.NTFS New Technology File
System. A file system used by all
recent versions of Windows.NVMe Non-Volatile Memory
Express. An interface that lets
solid-state drives work faster.OFX Open Financial Exchange.
A way of digitally exchanging
financial information.Onion address URLs for websites
on the dark web, accessible only
through the Tor browser.Open source Software that can
be modified by anyone, rather
than just by the employees of the
company that created it.Partition A large hard drive
can be split into two or more
partitions or ‘virtual’ drives. Once
partitioned, each section is treated
by Windows as though it were a
completely separate, smaller hard
drive.Pixelate When an image on
screen is divided into large pixels,
typically because packets of data
were lost in transmission due to a
poor connection.Plug-in A small program that
adds extra features to software or
to your web browser.POP3 Post Office Protocol 3. A
system for remotely accessing
and retrieving email from an ISP.
Most email programs and ISPs use
POP3.Proxy A computer that sits
between your computer and the
internet and filters the connection.
Sometimes used simply to remove
internet threats such as viruses,
but can also be used to block
access to websites and internet
services as well as masking the
identity of a computer, giving its
user anonymity on the internet.QIF File extension for a Quicken
Interchange Format file used by
Intuit’s Quicken.72
Ja rgon Buster